They have been a treat for us fans, how many other movies have this amount of material released as info and vlogs before a movie is even finished! I think they are a brilliant idea and as others have said very well edited, shot and just generally great to get a look at what goes into making a film on the scale of the hobbit.

The Vlogs come from the behind the scenes team, led by Michael Pellerin. Everybody knows who he is right? He is very, very good. Maybe the best in the business and the only guy we would want doing Middle-earth or Peter Jackson stuff. Giant Tolkien fan too and a heck of a guy.

Is he the same fellow that you on the ToRN panel at San Diego Comic Con a couple years ago? The one who worked on the material for the appendices in the LOTR movies?

If so I'm glad as he seemed like a really nice guy. I remember at that time it was up in the air as to whether he would be involved in the Hobbit movies.

I have always said Smaug like "Smog" like the name for the smoke/fog pollution mixture. It just always seemed to make sense to me, since Smaug pollutes the air in a way with his smoke and fire and everything.

I'm thinking that the red warhammer we see Richard Taylor playing around with is actually a version of Dain's famous red weapon. Perhaps they decided he would look better with a hammer? It IS painted red, after all. Just a thought. Play Lord of the Rings Online!!! Find me, Ithronatar, on the Silverlode server!!!

I remember that in vlog 2 (i believe), there was a picture of possibly Legolas dressed up in a courtly manner which was shown in the background. After it being discussed on TORN, the next vlog showed the same picture but it was blurred out ...

the WB PR department. They don't seem to like giving things away in advance of their promotion schedule. Silverlode

"Of all faces those of our familiares are the ones both most difficult to play fantastic tricks with, and most difficult really to see with fresh attention. They have become like the things which once attracted us by their glitter, or their colour, or their shape, and we laid hands on them, and then locked them in our hoard, acquired them, and acquiring ceased to look at them. Creative fantasy, because it is mainly trying to do something else [make something new], may open your hoard and let all the locked things fly away like cage-birds. The gems all turn into flowers or flames, and you will be warned that all you had (or knew) was dangerous and potent, not really effectively chained, free and wild; no more yours than they were you." -On Fairy Stories